John Ward at Old Trafford, day 1
Close of play: Glamorgan 315/3 v Lancashire.

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There was much good cricket in this match at Old Trafford, Second Division and slow pitch notwithstanding. Glamorgan batted with application, but were never boring although some good Lancashire bowling made them work hard for most of the day, and there was much work for the spinners. The highlight of the day was a fine determined century by Murray Goodwin, who finished the day unbeaten on 138.

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Glamorgan must have been delighted to enjoy some rare good fortune by winning the toss and thus being able to bat first in warm sunshine on a slow, dry, brown pitch that is expected to help the spinners increasingly as the match progresses. Lancashire seemed to agree with this assessment, as they brought in a debutant off-spinner, Arron Lilley, to support their regular slow left-armer Simon Kerrigan.

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Glen Chapple and Kyle Hogg opened the bowling to William Bragg and Gareth Rees, but could find little movement off the seam or in the air – particularly Hogg, although he managed to control the scoring to the extent of conceding only 11 runs from his seven-over opening spell. Kerrigan was bowling in place of Chapple, into the breeze, within the hour, but he disappointed. He did break the opening partnership at 43, as Bragg (24) slashed hard and was very well held at slip by Ashwell Prince. But then he and Luke Procter helped Murray Goodwin to get off to a flying start with a series of misdirected deliveries that were meat and drink to a hungry 40-year-old batsman.

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Rees also began to score more freely, and he ran to his fifty off 97 deliveries. Glamorgan would have been well pleased with their score at lunch of 108 for one wicket. However, by now the clouds were coming over, although without a hint of rain, and there were signs that the seamers might find the afternoon conditions more in line with their requirements.

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Sure enough, Chapple and Hogg did have more assistance during the afternoon, but Glamorgan were not to be unsettled unduly. Hogg did bowl one superb no-ball, that had Rees caught by Andrea Agathangelou at second slip, but he had a second chance a couple of overs later as Rees, cutting this time, was out to a fine juggling catch by the same fielder in the same position. Rees made 58 and Glamorgan were now 120 for two.

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Goodwin held out against some testing seam bowling and his fifty came off 84 balls. Then Kerrigan changed ends and bowled superbly, flighting the ball well and teasing and testing the new batsman, Chris Cooke, a South African making his first-class debut for Glamorgan, and with a reputation as a good one-day player. Cooke struggled against Kerrigan in particular, making 23 before, just as he was looking more secure, Kerrigan got his man. Cooke thumped a ball off the back foot in the air straight to short extra cover. He has undoubted talent but needs more experience in the longer game. Glamorgan were 185 for three.

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Jim Allenby got off to a brisk start, and at tea Glamorgan had reached 201 for three, with Goodwin now on 80. Allenby continued his aggressive policy, taking on Kerrigan and hitting him for two successive boundaries. Confident aggression seemed to shake Kerrigan to an extent and he now looked less threatening. Allenby did try to smash him for six, but a thick edge carried the ball over slip to the boundary. At the other end Lilley was bowling his off-breaks, looking steady but not dangerous.

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Goodwin progressed steadily to his 70th career century, a fine innings against mostly good bowling that took him 178 balls. The same stroke, a pull for two through midwicket, also brought up the 100 for Kerrigan, scored off his bowling in his 25th over. Extensive use of spin made for a fair over rate by modern standards, and at 4.45 the second new ball could be taken after 80 overs. Chapple immediately found some swing and occasional bounce, although a rather hazy sun had now returned. Allenby soon reached his fifty off 74 balls, the quickest of the day. As with Goodwin, the pull was a prolific stroke, as any ball pitched slightly short sat up quite easily on the slow pitch.

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Goodwin on 129 made his first real false stroke, driving a ball back to Kerrigan, the bowler, not desperately difficult, but he could not hold it. He and Allenby had put on 130 together by the close, 68 of Allenby, without being separated. It was a good day’s cricket, especially for Glamorgan, but to make a good match of it more wickets will need to fall on the remaining three days.